Landrieu avoids house arrest after state Supreme Court intervenes

NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana Supreme Court issued a temporary stay Friday afternoon to a judge's order that New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu should face house arrest over pay negotiations with city firefighters.

The order means Landrieu will not be confined to his home this weekend, when Civil Court Judge Kern Reese's order was set to go into effect.

Reese ordered last week that Landrieu be put under house arrest from 5 p.m. Friday to 5 p.m. Sunday unless he puts forward a plan to pay New Orleans firefighters $75 million they're owed through state law-mandated raises.

Landrieu's house arrest is the latest conflict in a battle that's been brewing for years over firefighter pay in the Crescent City. The mayor's attorneys argued in his appeal there's no incentive on the part of the firefighters union to negotiate in good faith if it means the mayor will stay under house arrest.

The 4th Circuit Court of Appeal denied Landrieu's motion in a 2-1 decision around 3:30 p.m. Reese also rejected an emergency request his order be stayed while appeals were heard.